Jails have been slammed as worrying figures reveal a growing crisis in Britain’s justice system.
There is a huge rise in days off for stress, prompting a damning verdict from the Prison Officers’ Association union.
Its chairman Mark Fairhurst said: “Staff are facing mental health issues because they’re operating in the most hostile workplaces in Western Europe.”
This year Ministry of Justice workers, including prison officers, probation and court staff, have missed 11,500 shifts due to poor mental health. That is nearly double the 6,800 figure for 2020.
Justice minister Damian Hinds has warned prisons are nearly full.
Yet there is a big backlog in the courts. In June, crown courts had 58,271 outstanding case, 500 more than in March. Victims of offences, including rape, face waits of five years for justice.
Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed, who uncovered the sickness figures, said his Tory counterpart has to fix the system.
There are 21,617 serving prison officers in England and Wales – 3,160 fewer than in 2010. Mr Fairhurst said “severe” staff shortages are a key factor in the system’s mental health crisis.
One in seven officers left the service last year and 50% quit after less than three years, says the Prison Reform Trust.
Andrew Neilson, of The Howard League for Penal Reform, added: “These worrying figures should compel the Government to reduce demand on our creaking prison system.”
“Ministers are prepared to make the problem worse by building more prisons – even though there are insufficient staff to run the ones we already have.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Like many people across the country, the pandemic has taken it’s toll on our staff’s mental health.
“We’ve responded by offering 2,400 of our staff specialised mental health training so they can support themselves and their colleagues.”
